Bihar Budget : A long wait

The Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi on Wednesday presented a Rs 28,944.64 crore budget for the financial year 2006-07 in both Houses of the state legislature with major hike in allocation in key areas such as roads, power, drinking water and agriculture.The last time such a full-fledged budget was presented — by the RJD — was in 1992 when the new government of Mr Lalu Prasad had barely settled on the throne.

The Key Highlights of the Budget are

70 per cent increase in road sector — from Rs 925 crore in the previous financial year to Rs 1,562 crore.

An increased state Plan outlay of Rs 8,250 crore for 2006-07 that is an increase of 33 per cent from this year’s Plan outlay of Rs 5,525 crore.

64 per cent rise in allocation for drinking water supply and 37 per cent rise for agriculture and irrigation. The government has further increased budget provisions for departments such as education, health, minority welfare, police and prison modernisation and the power sector.

Enumerating the new schemes launched by the Government in keeping with its commitment to enhance rural employment and strengthen rural infrastructure, he said Rs 125 crore has been allocated for the “Mukhya Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana” to connect villages having population between 500 and 1,000 with all-weather roads.

A sum of Rs 120 crore has been earmarked for the employment guarantee scheme launched in 15 of the State’s 38 districts through the Government’s own resources. These district are not covered by the Centre-sponsored national rural employment guarantee programme. To read more click here ,here & here